Momo

This is Momo. I used the pattern Owl Puffs by Jenna Krupar.  It's supposed to be stuffed in a way that makes the corners stick up like ears.  But I rolled up some left over quilt batting and there wasn't enough for the ears.  So they droop.  Hence I made it into a dog.

Details:
Yarn:  Lamb's Pride Bulky, leftover from a sweater I made for my sister years ago.  The photo is off, since the yarn is turquoise, not blue blue.
Needle: US 10, one metal circular, one bamboo circular

Method:
~ Used Turkish cast on at the top of the head and 2 circulars to knit downwards.  It was really easy and resulted in a pouch that I could keep the yarn and needles in when not knitting on it.
~ Then I stuffed it and knitted the bottom closed in a flat hexagon so it would sit up.
~ I threw it in the wash to felt it a bit.  I have front loading washing and drying machines, so it didn't felt very much.
~ Embroidered on face with worsted weight wool.  I'll wash it again to felt it in place.  I hope.

Started Jan 12, 2012, finished Jan 19.  It really could be done in a just a few days but I've been sticking to my project rotation, so have worked on this only every 4 days.

I made it for Husband's secretary who is expecting her first kid in February.  I really love Momo.

I'm going to make a baby sweater or toy a month so I'll have something ready to give when I hear about an impending baby.

I forsee making several more Momos or stuffies.  I have so much feltable wool that needs to be used!

About Us

Went to California for Xmas instead of Wisconsin to see the in-laws.  Started in San Francisco for a few days and drove down the Pacific Coast Highway to Los Angeles, with a stop in Cambria half way on Christmas Eve.  Lovely trip with lots of knitting time.  I took my topdown raglan sweater to work on.  I started with a pattern, then modified it to add stitches in the bust but went too far and now it's all wonky. I modified the neckline too.

So, I have downloaded the Raglanify app onto my iPhone, entered my gauge from the non-wonky part of the sweater and will cast on sometime in the new year.

Currently my knitting rotation is:
Sister and Brother-in-Law's blanket.
Husband's blanket.
Baby Sweater for Husband's secretary (instead of the blanket).
My sweater or new baby blanket.  Not sure yet but that will be the project for Jan 1, 2012

Also my project for the new year is getting the adoption going.  We met with the consulting agency last week and they gave us feedback on the profile booklet we're putting together for birthmothers.

We've nearly finished the homestudy part where a social worker assesses our suitability as prospective parents, in an "objective" way.  This included criminal background checks, assessing our financial situation, visiting our home, getting letters of recommendation, and medical exam.  I understand wanting some minimum level of suitability, and am sure we meet or exceed all of them, but wonder how much leeway would be given to a poor couple, or a couple with health problems.

The profile booklet is much more subjective.  This is where we introduce ourselves to the birthmothers, describe where we live, what we do, how we live, our families and friends.  We spend the vacation taking pictures of ourselves as a happy couple, being careful to crop out any beer or wine glasses, and not cutting up like we usually do.

Putting this profile booklet is like posting on this blog or on Facebook.  Which sides of ourselves do we show?  We want to present ourselves as competent people, a happy couple, and fun-loving but not outrageous.

These booklets are given to the birthmoms and from these 15 to 20 pages of words and pictures, she decides whether or not we are the people she wants raising her child.

No pressure.

Managing projects

Not a great picture, but these are the knitting projects I'm focusing on now.

Three of them are gifts and are getting varying degrees of attention. So I decided to rotate them.  Everyday, I will work on one and then the next, work on another, and then the next day another, etc.  Some days I get more knitting in than others, so this should ensure that they all get some progress.  Especially the sloggy projects. 

I started this weekend and this is how it's shaking out so far.

Sat: started the Baby Blanket for Husband's secretary, who's due in February.  (Lower right)
Yarn:  Various worsted weight cotton and superwash wool yarns, held double.
Needle:  US 10 (6mm)
Construction:  Center out, stockingnette and garter stitches.

Sun:  Husband's Blanket (lower left)
Yarn: various worsted weight wool (not superwash, I don't know what I was thinking), black and pastel colors, held double.
Needle: US 10 (6mm)
Construction:  Using the Chinese Coin quilt pattern, but in stockingnette stitch

Mon: Sister and Brother-in-Law's Blanket (upper left)
Yarn: Various worsted weight superwash wool yarns in shades of blue and natural, held double.
Needle: US 10 (6mm)
Construction:  Cast on 200 stitches, random stockingnette stripes

Tue:  Sweater for me (upper right)
Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed, DK weight
Needle: US 6 (4mm)
Construction:  Top down, funnel neck, raglan sleeves, stockingnette stitch.

Wed: back to the Baby Blanket
Thur: Husband's Blanket

and so on.

I just started this on Saturday, so we'll see how long I manage this. 

One snafu already: what will be my portable knitting?  So far, the DK weight sweater is still at a size and stage that is portable, and I'm going to a reading tonight, a lunch with a friend tomorrow, and an HOA meeting Wed night.  So I'll probably take the sweater for those days, and thus wrecking my knitting schedule already.

Option: Take the sweater out of the rotation, use it only as portable knitting.  Then add it to the rotation when it gets too big to be portable.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is Awesome

I recently saw the 80 minute video of Stephen Colbert, as himself, interviewing Neil deGrasse Tyson.  The talk was wide-ranging, funny, thoughtful, touching, and just really enjoyable. 

If you like or care about science, science fiction, pop culture, education, exploration, history, and eloquence, definitely go watch it at http://t.co/jewrEpJf

The part where he talked about how we are part of the universe, just like the planets and stars are, means that we, too, are made of star-stuff, brought tears to me eyes. 

Neil deGrasse Tyson is awesome.

Japanese and Taiwanese Craft Books

The crochet books are from Japan, the Katchwork book is from Taiwan.  The book at the lower left is from Japan but I bought the Chinese language translated version in Taiwan.

My favorite book is the lower left, by the collective Knot.  Below are the 2 pieces that made me want to buy the book:

And this picture makes me want to dress like this:

The pieces are simple crocheted bits made with DMC embroidery thread, combined in ways I hadn't thought of.

The book with the red flower is full of crocheted flowers.  And I got it for the red flower on the cover.

Below is the hat that I got the pale crocheting book for:

Here's the pattern for it:

It is highly, highly unlikely that I'll make this hat.

Below is the Avril yarn company retail section at the Handicrafts department of a department store in the Shinsaibashi shopping area of Osaka, Japan.  The yarn is sold by the gram off the cones. 

Here's the wool yarn I bought there:

The Katchwork book is written by a woman named Kat who was inspired by American quilts of the 1930s (really, 1920 to 1950s).  There are instructions for making American scrap quilts as well at items like these below.







Out and about in Hsinchu

So, I am in Hsinchu, Taiwan, for a kind of impromptu family reunion.  Above is the Eastern Gate in downtown Hsinchu, back when it was a walled town centuries ago.  Now it's the center of a traffic island.  There's a park behind it that one uses an underground pedestrian way to access it.

Sister and Husband in Law have been planning to come here for a while.  Brother One is already here with our parents  Then Brother Two decided to go.  That would leave me as the only one in my family not going!  So 2 weeks ago, I confered with Husband and bought a ticket.

So Sunday we celebrated our 12th anniversary :), and a few days later I left him for a 2 week vacation :(.  Husband couldn't get away like I could.

Below is a picture of the track for the light rail righ outside the back door, connecting our neighborhood near the Science Park (Taiwan's Silicon Valley) to the Hsinchu train station of the high speed rail line that runs from Taipei in the north to Kaoshung in the south.  Now, it would take only 2 hours to traverse the island.

That used to be just rice paddies int he back, but now there's a lot of new development.

Yesterday, the Brothers and I wandered downtown Hsinchu, and I came across a fabric shop.  Bought a few feet of a bunch of different fabrics for the quilt stash.

Today, going to the yarn shop in the neighborhood where I bought my first supplies when I learned to knit in home economic class in 1987 :)

Twitterific!

Wow. It's been a month since I've posted on the blog. However, I've been tweeting a lot more. So.

I'm on the last book of the series that began with Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve. The original protagonists, Tom and Hester, were teens in the first books and in books 3 and 4, they've had a daughter, Wren, who's now a teen, having adventures with other teens and adults. So still teen friendly.

The war between the Municipal Darwinists (who believe that it's natural evolution that entire cities are mounted on gigantic wheels and roam around trading with or eating other cities, towns, suburbs, etc.) and Anti=Tractionists (who believe that cities should be static and stay put) continues.

I've been cranking away on blankets as I read. A garter stitch Baby Moderne-esque Log Cabin for a friend. Husband's City Lights blanket. A blanket for Sister and her Husband.

Finished the baby blanket. Going to look for a new project soon. Something portable, something 1 skein-ish. Maybe simple lace. I'd like to do a chunky lace on size 11s or something. But that's hardly portable. Perhaps I should cruise Ravelry a bit...